U-tube pressure gauge



Oct. 4, 1949. A. LAWSON U-TUBE PRESSURE GAUGE Filed sept. 4, 1945&\\\\\\v////w INVEN TOR.

ndrewaa/Jm W Mm@ Patented Oct. 4, 19`49 uNiT Eo stares Plan:ear-rottico;

Andnewf Lawsom, liincolnshii'e, Il1-. assigner to; Gwrdnx(orpoli'ation,1 Ghicagpl, Ill.,v a oonporaf tiomof Illinois.,

l toswetubefpressuregaugesr Innindmainm liquidi leyel. and: mareaparticularly; tmsplaslnpoiithez assnciatedwitliisuch aigaugef...

"lilies sauger with which the@ presentvinventiom. is:eissoffiiheichanacten imIenderLto indiv cate@ the: liixuli lever.mithin:l al eontainen on` vessel; fon'tmspnnting-or storingjiquidsgsuoh;asoarbom dioxide, that: develop higlrl vapor: press sum when? conned at.nunmal` temperatures. As. gauge: otthis: chamaotenisdisolosedaBatent-Noa, 23H1i402 to; Hi TE; Wiliiamsom date@ Qotohen 3-l.'-`y` 194m.

Im there use?. or gauges of" thee Iazlorementioned` character, it has:Ieen,q found: thatJ under extra?A ordimamcondltionsethe gangealiqnidwillbefoloxirn fmmtheinesenvoinonfmm the:sighting-tuhe..4 Im tliabevementionedi resl'fifilztedL passage-- ways are formed, as shown at25a and 3ll;,for:the4 purposeofpneventngthe:gaugeliquidi mom beingcsix'aedi oyen the: supply,1 lines. before. they pnessurel surge has:ceased.. I-Iovoeirler;` because o the@ high: pressures under:` which;cannoni dioxide; is stored in the system to which the presenti; ineventi'olre i`s= applied. am accidental: leakage. onl irmpropenmarpuitiomon valves: may: causes suon` as. pnessunefsurgwthatzthexsmalloriceseinthefgauge4 oliY the` patent. willi not lie.` completen?,satisfactory;a

Braocordanoeewitltltlieipxzes eniinvention means` are providedi toAprevent. sueh-l splashing` off the gauge liquid! whiohi would? tend;to'. nanny it. oven into-tlisupplyflines.. lhithisrespect;thezimxenftion; inivolmesasi one of? its: features theaprmzisionVof-porousbloekf whic'liiiszpervious to.the-.pa-ssageA oi? air?k onVapon;A butt which; is: xnuclt1 less l peuvioustoitne passage offthegaugeiliquid;

Aafimthenfeature onthe invention involvesxthea provision off aiguardwhich prevents splashing.: theiliouid diotlv against-- the lporous:blooln.

@ther foaalszotftheeinventiomw-ill beapparentf from thefollowingdescription when oonsidened. in connection with: theaccompanying: drawings;

In.: tho difawings:

Fig-mei 1 iS= assid'e elevational; View off they: gauge.` showing theesplash: pots applied."L thereto;

EigurerZ-i isi aifi'ontelevation; of." Fligurzei 1; c andi Figur@P 32 inani enlaitgedi section. om thef. linie. 3*-32 of Figure 1.

Fonoscompletndescription` offthgauge; bPatent 2,3ltA: may: heanefenxtedi tot, Howes/eng. a" brief; desoniptiomot'thisiartiolewi11be.given.nere:. inoludes: ai tnansparent: sight block: 4L having ar.vertical paseagevwmr E therethrough. the; lumenendianwhich;communieatesi withs a. right; angular p en; andi theelippen1endl on which: com- Z comnnmicating passageways4 6` and 1f @pew ontI at.ai sidmface: 8i ofYV the: sight block; 42

The. sidf face 8s: is disposedi toward; aa flat face?. 9301i aimetallin1 base or' body: block I l., Within thhndy blbclc Illa isa:reservoir |22. toa contain the.

gauge: liquid and at; thef lower; portion of the reservoir? h2'isaazci.outletl I :Siwhi'chi opensiati theE face Stof: body: block Ialin: registry: with thezopeningi` Si. in the transparentsight-hloclczllf. The. upper enda ofrtl'iexizeservon I fZis-iniconnnunicationz thnough. a restricteds, portion In with: a; pont.opening: l5'. rllhis port opening.y |55 is internallyl threaded to.reoeivei ausl elbow; coupling.- I Bi An opening Ii'lf Wthinitheimetallic body loloclss Hx opens; at face 9: on thisi lcloolv in`registry;

with the opening Y1 in the transparent sight block:v 4i. Within:theibody: block lili the opening l'l communicates; with ai pont; openingI8: which; is internally timeaded @pening I'l prefiera-bly shnuld: be:of: smalls size. to.y restnjict: flow off uidi theretiirougha.

Betweenithemeetingffaoes c 8i andi 9i of; the sight block, 4a and. bndyfblocle I: It, respectively; and in:` line with the registering openingsarew gaskets .zeafndzdf.

To clampzthe sight -bloelille andzmetal'- lioibody: lolooklili toward:each other, so.

thatthegaskets: 205 andi 2t. Wil1 be: in gas-tight.

on against; a-.m'etal sheathing.: having: an: opening;

tlereini tliroughfy whioh1 thei passagevmy 5: may he viewed The gaugeisf heldinL suoli position. byboltsepeassirrgJ through openings 28iin.the mounting: plate 26.

Ai gaugetplate may he"V carriedl by; the. gauge; atanydesiredclocation-where ittcan-beivien/feciA` alongsiteot'thelliquid': in the .Vertical passageway` 5; Fon' example. this.gauge.VA plate; may be; mounted as: is( thez'platie.` 45S inv. Figure Szof the. aforesaid; patents.

'Elineadedi Within thee port. opening: la' is` a:

splasha pot 31e of thee invention and thread-ed: into;v theelbnwqcnuplingf is anothen splashi pot-3Go. Immioam as sloping;passageway; 1i. The: eofithea inxntionx Asthezsplashzpotsg, and 30111.,`

are identical in construction, a description of the one will suiiice toexplain the construction of both of them and consequently only one willbe described in detail.

Considering the splash pot 30, it includes a body 3| having a chamber 32therein. A stem 33 at the lower part of body 3| is threaded into theport opening I8 and through the stem 33 is a passageway 34 which opensinto the chamber 32. Chamber 32 opens out at the upper end of the body3|.

Closing the upper end of the body 3| and thereby sealing the upper endof chamber 32 is an end plate 35. This plate 35 may be aiTXed tothe body3| in any desired manner and as here shownV this is by welding 36.Supported by the plate 35 within the chamber 32 is a splash shield 3l ofinverted funnel shape. This splash shield thereby provides a recessedunder face which directly 'l overlies the opening 34 so that any gaugeliquid which is forced upwardly from the opening 34 will be turned backdownwardly by the recessed under face of the shield 37. Any of the gaugeliquid which falls upon the upper surface of splash shield 3l will rundownwardly along itssloping surface and fall into the lower end ofchamber 32. The bottom wall of chamber 32 slopes toward the passageway34 to make sure this gauge liquid is returned to passageway 5.

Within the outer face of end plate 35 is a socket 38 and a counterboredrecess 39 of larger diameter. A port opening 4| extends through theplate 35 into the lower end of the socket 38 and it will be observedthat the opening 4I is inclined so that it is not obstructed by the stemsupport for the shield 31. Y

Secured within the counterbored recess 39, as by welding 42, is aninternally threaded sleeve coupling 43. A coupling 44 is threaded intothe sleeve 43 and this coupling 44 provides an attachl ment for theconduit I8 in Patent 2,361,440. A

similar coupling 44a. affixed to the splash pot 30a provides anattachment for the conduit I of Patent 2,361,440.

Within the socket 38 is a block of porous material 45. This material ispreferably of the same external size as the socket 38 so that it tstherein. To further hold the porous block 45 in this place and preventescape of gas therearound, attachment material 46 is provided. Thismaterial 45 may be of any desired character, but it has been found thatplaster of Paris is suitable.

As an important feature of the invention, the porous block 45 is of amaterial which will permit the passage of gas or air therethrough, butwill not permit as free a passage of the gauge liquid.

The porous block functions to provide a largev gauge liquid will bedriven upwardly through the opening 34 in the splash pot and will beinitially directed downwardly by the shield 3l. However, any droplets ofthis liquid which enter the opening 4| and reach the porous block willbe arrested by the porous block. A similar function occurs if upon areverse pressure surge gauge liquid is carried into the splash pot 30a.It has been found that the presence of the porous block 4 45 in thesystem in no way aiects the accuracy of the gauge. This porous block mayrequire a short time for pressure conditions to come to equilibrium whenthe gauge is initially brought into communication with the storagevessel, but this time lag will be only on the order of one minute.

WhatIclaimis; 'Lgf' j 1. A splash pot vcomprising a body having achamber therein, attachment means at the lower end of the body throughwhich a passageway opens into the lower part of the chamber, attachmentmeans at the upper end of the body through which a passageway opens intothe upper part of said chamber, said upper passageway having an enlargedouter portion, and a porous block seated `in said enlarged portion andsealed therein, said porous block being pervious to gas but much lesspervious to gauge liquid.

2. In a U-tube pressure gauge, a transparent body having a passagewaytherethrough, afreservoir having its lower end in communication with thelower end of said passageway, a body of gauge liquid in said reservoirand passageway, separate splash chambers connected to the upper ends ofsaid passageway and said reservoir with each of said splash chambershaving arestricted opening at its upper end, a coupling communicatingwith each restricted opening and adapted to'be subjected to a surge ofhigh pressure uid from an external source, and a block formed of porous:

material bridging each restricted opening outwardly of the latter, thematerial of said blocks being of such a porous character as to snub thepassage of a surge of high pressure fiuidinto the splash chambers and tosubstantially prevent the passage of gauge liquid out of the splashchambers.

3. A U-tube pressure gauge of theA type defined in claim 2, furthercharacterized by the provision of a shield in each splash chamber forprotecting the associated vporous block from splashed gauge liquid.

4. A splash pot for preventing the development f socket formed in thebottom wall-of said recess f and having a restricted port passingthrough the remainder of the thickness of said closure plate, v

a porous block seated in said socket and. projecting into the bore ofsaid sleeve, and a seal of plastic material molded in the space betweenthe periphery of the porous block and the surrounding surface of thesleeve bore, whereby the inner end face of the porous block is exposedonly through the said restricted port and the entire outer end face ofthe porous block is exposed in the bore of said sleeve, and a couplingfor connecting the sleeve to a source of high pressure fluid.

5. A splash pot of the type defined in claim 4, further characterized bythe provision of a shieldin the splash chamber of said body forprotecting the exposed portion of the inner end face of the porous blockfrom splashed gauge liquid.

6. A splash pot for preventing the development of a high pressure fluidsurge in a U-tube pressure gauge employing gauge liquid and forpreventing the loss of liquid from the gauge, comprising a body having achamber therein, means for connecting the lower end of said body to aU-tube pressure gauge, means forming a passageway into said chamberthrough the upper end of said body, said passageway having a restrictedportion adjacent said chamber, a porous block seated in said passagewayadjacent said restricted portion, sealing means between the periphery ofsaid porous block and the surrounding surface of said passageway,whereby the entire outer end face of said porous block is -exposed insaid passageway and the inner end face is exposed only through saidrestricted portion, and mea-ns for connecting said passageway to asource of high pressure uid.

7 A splash pot of the type dened in claim 6, further characterized bythe provision of a shield in the chamber of said body for protecting theexposed portion of the inner end face of the porous block from splashedgauge liquid.

8. In a U-tube pressure gauge, a transparent body having a passagewaytherethrough, a reservoir having its lower end in communication with thelower end of said passageway, a body of gauge liquid in said reservoirand passageway, separate splash chambers connected to the upper ends ofsaid passageway and said reservoir with each of said splash chambershaving a restricted opening at its upper end, a coupling mounted on theupper end of each of said splash chambers, said couplings each having apassageway therethrough of relatively large dimensions in alinement withthe restricted opening of the associated splash chamber, and a block ofincompressible porous material, larger than said restricted openings,mounted in the passageway of each coupling adjacent the restrictedopening, whereby the inner face of said porous block is exposed onlythrough said restrict-ed opening and the entire outer end face of theporous block is exposed in the passageway of said coupling.

9. In a U-tube pressure gauge, a transparent body having a passagewaytherethrough, a reservoir having its lower end in communication with thelower end of said passageway, a body of gauge liquid in said reservoirand passageway, separate splash chambers connected to the upper ends ofsaid passageway and said reservoir with each of said splash chambershaving a restricted opening at its upper end and an outer socket largerthan and in alinement with said restricted opening, a block ofincompressible porous material positioned in each of said sockets, asleeve mounted on each of said splash chambers to provide a passagewayoutwardly of said porous block, and a shi-eid mounted in each of saidsplash chambers below the restricted openings to substantially preventgauge liquid from splashing into the restricted openings to contact saidporous blocks.

ANDREW L. LAWSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 903,973 Heiland Nov. 17, 19081,586,291 Kauimann May 25, 1926 1,598,571 Fox Aug. 31, 1926 1,642,615Lommel Sept. 13, 1927 1,858,399 Jones May 17, 1932 2,118,229 ReynoldsMay 24, 1938 2,361,440 Williamson Oct. 31, 1944 2,411,508 Dwyer Nov. 26,1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 99,976 Switzerland July 2, 1923523,988 France May 6, 1921

